Following
by The Impossible Daughter
Summary: Sometimes, the line between good and bad wasn't black and white. Sometimes, it just so happened to be Gray. Detective!AU


_Why am I doing this?_ He thought to himself.

Gray sipped his fifth cup of coffee from the driver's seat of his black '67 Impala. A sigh escaped his lips as he looked over at his watch, 2:18 am. Some guy, Bora was his name, had hired him to keep tabs on his ex-girl.

" _What am I supposed to be on look for exactly?" the detective asked as he looked at the woman's picture._

" _Just make sure that she doesn't get into any trouble." Buffy McBufferson answered._

" _Could you be a little vaguer?" Gray asked, irritation getting to him._

" _Just watch her. You'll know what the something is, if it happens."_

" _Right, cause that is definitely more information than what I had five seconds ago."_

As a professional private detective, the job was completely beneath Gray. As a person, it had been a slow couple of months and he still had bills to pay. So he took the job. The guy was paying him $500 a day, which definitely helped his pride.

The dark-haired man look up to a certain window on the fourth floor of the apartment building in front of him. The lights were still on. Even though the curtains were drawn, it was obvious that there was someone inside. He knew she was alone, he watched the bluenette walk into the building hours ago and still counted only one shadow. He looked over at the file with the woman's information.

Name: Juvia Lockser.

Age: 25.

Hair Color: Blue.

Eye Color: Blue.

Occupation: Biochemist at Element Four Industries.

Address: 19645 N 52 Lane.

Marital Status: Single.

Under her basic info was her daily routine. He'd noticed the pattern after the third day. This Juvia chick had a very meticulous schedule that she followed to the dot every day. Wakes up at 5am and goes for a swim in the building's public pool. She's back in the apartment by 5:45am, showers, has breakfast, and is on her way to work at 6am. Gets to the lab at 7am, lunch at 11:30am, and clocks out at 5:15pm. She goes to the gym from 5:50pm till 7:10pm. Gets home at 7:30pm, showers, eats dinner, and is fast asleep by 9pm. That's why when he noticed that the lights were still on at 10pm, Gray was worried.

He'd been studying her every move for 2 weeks now. She was a complete innocent, almost too innocent if you asked him. Then he remembered that she had dated Bora, so she couldn't be _that_ much of an angel. Still, he had a hard time believing that a girl like her would've wasted her time with a guy like Bora. There wasn't any proof, but there were enough rumors to make him wonder if the guy was in with the Italian mob. Gray went for another swig of caffeine when he realized there was none left.

"Ugh." He rubbed his eyes, trying to get the sleep out.

There were only two days left until his contract was up with the buff man he wasn't planning on renewing it. Whatever this girl was, she definitely did not need surveillance 24/7. She was a sweet girl from what he could tell and what her friends said about her. Her life was simple and consistent. She seemed happy. Yet, no matter how many times he looked over the evidence in front of him, something felt slightly off. It was like everything was _just_ too perfect. And now she was completely breaking her schedule. Red flags came up everywhere in Gray's head, but she hadn't moved. She was just reading by the window, occasionally getting up and moving towards the back of the apartment. She always came back after a bit. He looked up and noticed she had left again.

The next minute, he wasn't sure what had happened exactly. Somehow, the innocent girl had snuck into the backseat of his car and disarmed him within seconds. She slammed his face into the steering wheel, he was sure something cracked. The private detective coughed as the young woman held him in an impressive choke hold while holding a knife at his shoulder.

"Understand that Juvia's knife is right over Gray-sama's brachial artery." The woman pressed the tip of the blade down just enough to make his breath hitch, "The slightest movement and Gray-sama will bleed out in five minutes. Got it?"

He nodded slowly and asked, "You know my name?"

"Juvia does her homework. Gray-sama's been tailing Juvia for just over two weeks now, correct?"

His jaw locked. How could she have known? He was the best in the business. He was never caught. At least, he hadn't been caught until now.

"Do not take it personally, Juvia is the best. That is why José sent Gray-sama to watch, to make sure Juvia didn't free-lance, right?" her voice was low and laced with something he couldn't quite place, he just knew that had they been under different circumstances, he would've probably taken her right then and there.

"I don't know what you're talking about." his voice came out the same way it always did when business was involved, deep and demanding.

José. His mind drifted briefly to the idea that she was talking about José Porla, head of the Italian Mob. It would confirm a lot of his hunches, but…

She made some sort of purring sound as she leaned closer to his ear, "Mmmm, let Juvia guess. José sent one of his dogs to hire Gray-sama, didn't he?"

"What- " he started, but she cut him off.

"Was it Totomaru-san? Juvia would say Gajeel-kun, but he defected with Juvia." She whispered into his ear, "Was it Bora?"

His left eye twitched just the slightest, a movement he couldn't help. He doubted that the bluenette would notice the tic, but that doubt melted away as her sultry body language transformed into one of exasperation.

"Ugh, of course he would." She pulled the knife away from his shoulder and flopped into his backseat, "Juvia wouldn't be surprised if Bora sent Gray-sama after her without even consulting José."

"I don't- "

"As fun as it's been, Juvia really must go now." She sat up again and leaned close, her breath hot on his neck, "A true shame, Juvia would have loved to play with Gray-sama just a little longer."

"You work for them, the mafia. You some kind of teller or something? Or do they keep you around for eye candy?" His mouth twitched at the sound of her light laugh.

She pouted her lips slightly, "Trust Juvia, you wouldn't like her anymore if you knew."

He turned his head so he wouldn't have to watch her from the mirror. Her skin had some this pale glow he'd never seen before, her eyes glinted with something the detective just couldn't place. "Who are you?"

Her mouth formed into a smirk, "Secret."

Gray woke up to the sound of his phone ringing. He reached for it groaning as his head pounded.

 _What the hell happened?_

"Fullbuster." He spoke, not bothering to read the name on the screen.

"Good morning."

His senses were on full blown alert at the sound of her voice.

"Seems Gray-sama really likes cherries."

His eyebrows furrowed. What was she talking about? He looked into the mirror to see his lips stained red. She was wearing red lipstick last night. Did he kiss her? He did remember-

"To be fair, it's Juvia's favorite too. Cherries with a pinch of etorphine."

Well that explains how she knocked him out. But her car was still in the driveway and he could definitely hear the sound of an engine on the other line. Maybe he could trace her location.

"Don't bother, Juvia's on a burner cell. She just wanted to tell you something."

 _Was she a mind reader too?_ The dark haired man could practically see her smile, "What did you do? You must've done something real dumb to get the Italians on you."

"On the contrary, it's more like something Juvia didn't do."

A sudden silence seemed to take over. All he could hear was the engine on her side.

He frowned, "Oi! You still there?"

"Whatever happens, don't get involved." Her voice was hoarse and strained, nothing like the silky tone she had used on him last night.

"What?"

"José's planning something big, something that's gonna take down the whole city. Cut every tie with anyone that could even remotely be connected to him and get out."

"Juvia, you can't just-"

"Goodbye Gray-sama."

And the line went dead.


End file.
